Stay With Me: A Howrra Fanfiction
by Petra Lee
Summary: Korra gets a surprise midnight visit. Howl/Korra or "Howrra" as the kids are calling it these days. My exhaustion told me it was a good idea to write, so here. Korra may be slightly OOC but I pin the blame on her tiredness as well as mine.


**_Okay so I know I just posted this originally at about one-thirty this morning, but as it turns out- that was a terrible idea. So I edited a couple of things to try to make it flow better, or something. First LoK fanfiction I written and it's a crackship! go figure. Reviews would be lovely :)_**

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The footsteps were light, and the knock on her door was subtle. _What could they possibly want me to do at this hour? This better not be some kind of weird midnight meditation ritual._ Korra shifted off her bed, pushing aside the sheets that had been twisted in the heat of the night. The tiles of her bedroom floor were cool against her hot feet. She rubbed her eyes in the dark and fumbled for the doorknob, her surroundings still unfamiliar. Somehow she managed to grab a hold of the handle and twisted it, pulling the door open.

With a jolt of recognition Korra no longer had any desire to tell off her nighttime visitor.

"Howl," she said softly. "How did you get here? I'm sorry I didn't get to say goodbye, I-I couldn't risk the chance. Get in here before someone sees you, or we'll both be in trouble!" She swiftly pulled him inside the doorway.

"I couldn't stay away. I know you don't need my protection as a White Lotus guard, but I thought you might need the support of a friend. Or something more…" Howl let the last sentence trail off, as if he hadn't wanted to say it at all, but the sliver of hope inside of him somewhere had convinced him that maybe she felt the same way too.

"What was that?" asked Korra, not sure of what the answer would be though she knew full well what she had heard.

"Nothing, I'm just tired from the trip I guess. I couldn't sleep without knowing for sure you were okay." Seeing Korra's bemused face he quickly changed the topic and stumbled over the first few words. "I, uh, I knew you were going to leave. You were so determined when you found out Tenzin was going to arrive and I knew you wouldn't back down without a fight after he announced that he wasn't going to stay. Plus, I sort of heard you suggest moving to Republic City when you were talking with Tenzin. I applied for relocation, and then I started packing and didn't wait for an answer. I told them I'd be visiting an aunt for a few days so they have time to consider my request."

"What if it doesn't go through? What if it gets rejected? I don't want to adjust here on my own," Korra said, her exhaustion from the day's training letting the worry seep into her voice without her consent.

"I won't leave. I promise."

And when she looked into his eyes, she knew Howl was telling the truth. His face was weary with lack of sleep, and it was hard to tell in the darkness, but it looked like he had windburn on his cheeks. Or maybe he was just blushing.

Korra sank into him then, and a surprised Howl gently wrapped his arms about her. He had never known her to be the affectionate type. With her head on his chest, she murmured, "I bet you're worn out, come on," and together they shuffled over to her bed. Howl was too fatigued to protest, and as he lay down on the soft, limp mattress he could not believe how Korra was so close to him now. Not just physically as her head rested next to his shoulder with sleep creeping up on her, but she had let him in. The girl he thought had only ever noticed him as a guard who kept her in the compound that she wanted so desperately to leave, and as a guy with whom she would spark friendly conversation, but surely she did talked that way with everyone? And this girl, this magnificent, incredible _avatar_, was letting him into her life. For how long, he didn't know. He knew that things would be different in the morning once they had a chance to have a proper conversation with well-rested heads making the decisions and picking the words. But for now the world was peaceful, the night air was cool, and the morning sun would rise again soon, just as it always did.


End file.
